Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-25
LYNCHED.
Lee ShelIenb?rger, Convicted OF MIR
deTing His Little Girl, Hung by In
dignant German NeighhOrs.
he Dies Curstng and Says He VIII Haunt
His Executioners # That be
Possible.

NEBRASKA CITY, NEB., July ~ The
execution Of Hoffman, the train wrecker,
on Friday, was the incentive to one of
the best executed plans of Judge Lynch
ever perpetrated in this part of the
country. For two days rumors had been
atioat that an organized mob would make
an attempt to secure Lee ShelIenberger,
the murderer Of his little daughter. on
Friday night, the attempt was to have
been made to lynch him, but the Sheriff
having been fOrewarned, the mob was
dispersed by the militia. 1t was sup
posed to have been the end Of the matter,
and therefore, the citizens were rather
surprised when 1t was learned that this
morning vigilsntes had secured en-
trance into the isll last night
and hung Shellenberger. An eye witness
says the mob approached the courthouse
about . $50 q. m noiselessly, masked and
well armed. The guards being taken
completely By surprise were easily over
powered, The effort to break in the
heavy iron doors of the corridors was
frultless and the Sheriff S office, which is
directly over the prisoners cell, was en-
tered and an opening about three by six
feet was made in the floor, through
which part of the mob entered and in
which the condemned man was confined.
The door was broken open and the pris-
Oner dragged out in the courtyard aud 4
rope fastened around MS neck He de-
Clared his innocence OF the crime
of which he was charged ana con-
vic3ed and requested his body TO
be carried on the old homestead
until he was proven innocent, when be
should be removed to the side of his
dead father and buried like other people.
He never broke down and remained De1vy
to the last He was strung up dying with
curses on his lips as he said 'I'll haunt
you, Cd id, il | can" Thesmob
which was composed chiefly of German
farmers from the vicinity Of the murder,
then disappeared They left singing loudly
8 German song. At one time yell was
raised to lynch the prisoners lawyer also,
which was agreed TO by large number
of the mob, but wiser counsel prevailed
The crime for which Shellenberger
was lynched, was one Of the most afro
CiOus and blacklist in the history Of the
state The victim was Maggie Shellcn-
berger, bright child Of eleven years OF
At7Is "A III - A.....g 1lNS' AalllG 80 tbNu
and informed the Coroner and Sheriff
that his lite daughter Maggie hat com-
mitted suicide She was found l. the
bottom Of the cellar steps with twS 5ht-
full cuts across the throat, oneU most
scvering the neck from the body. Yhel-
IenbgTger and mis- wife, stepmOtSer 10
Maggie, were arrested on suspic<n and
at their trial be Yves convicted u muir
der Gnd sentenced 10 hang, but<sscured
another hearing in the Supreme
court and his execution was put CT in
definitely. The woman secured q change
of venue to Lancaster county and had her
trial 81 Lincoln several months ago. The
jury failed to ogree. There had been
severslj former attempts made to lynch
SheueDberger, but uasuccessfulIy. Hei
credited with several other murders, Of
one Of which be is very likely guilty It
was the murder Of al Englishman
named Leonard, several years ago, on
the river bank, which always remsined
mystery, but suspicion always pointed
strongly tc Shellenberger, though itnever
could be proved.